AMHERST, Mass.—The 14th-ranked William Smith College squash team defeated 13th-ranked Amherst 5-4 at the Mammoth's Davenport Squash Courts. Today's match was the season opener for both teams.
 
KEY STAT:
Today's victory was the Herons' first over the Mammoths since Feb. 18, 2007, a 6-3 win in New Haven, Conn.
 
MATCH MOMENTS:

• The Herons won four of their five points in three games. The fifth point came in a 3-2 victory.
• Rafaela Albuja Sanchez made her William Smith debut in the No. 1 spot. She beat Amherst's Daksha Pathak, 11-8, 11-9, 11-6.
• In the No. 3 spot, Nathalie Sim topped Lauren Weil, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8. It was Sim's collegiate debut.
• Lark Ervasti swept Supriya Chang, 11-7, 11-1, 11-9, at No. 8. Dating back to last season, it was Ervasti's eighth consecutive victory.
• Jada Smith-Padmore bested Kathryn Parker, 11-2, 11-1, 11-5, at No. 9.
• Anna O'Connor rallied to defeat Morgan Chaudhary, 11-6, 9-11, 1-11, 11-6, 11-8, at No. 7.
• Marce Marquez Martinez and Shante Frank dropped hard-fought battles at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.

 
COACH'S CORNER:
"The women really fought hard today to come away with a huge result in a very tough environment," Head Coach Pat Cosquer said. "They came in prepared but more importantly with a belief that they could win, so they did. I am really proud of their effort today."
 
UP NEXT:
William Smith will be back in action tomorrow, Nov. 20, when they take on Williams. The match is scheduled to begin at noon at the Smith Squash Center.